


Family Is Not Alone

by DayLightDove



Series: In These Days [10]
Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Global Warming, Hurt!Jack, Hurt/Comfort, family comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-05
Updated: 2015-12-05
Packaged: 2018-05-05 01:08:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5355218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DayLightDove/pseuds/DayLightDove
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack's been missing all of winter. When he's found, he is not in the best condition. The Guardians need to remind Jack that he doesn't need to get through things alone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Family Is Not Alone

Jack had been missing for all of winter. The other Guardians didn't know what to, they've searched  _everywhere!_ And when they mean everywhere they mean everywhere. They even searched deserts and warmer places in case he was attacked and didn't have the strength to get away. Oh yeah they knew what too much heat did to the boy; he'd become over heated, sweaty, and just sick. Sometimes even delusional. It wasn't pretty. But he was NO WHERE!

In fact this winter hadn't gotten much snow either. Not even in Burgess, where the boy's pond was. In fact the pond didn't even get frozen! The entire winter the Guardians had searched, along with Baby Tooth, the other minis, Phil and the other yetis. The only time did they stop, but they really didn't, was when Christmas came. And that was just a party without…well…fun! But since they had to keep belief up Tooth and Sandy searched while working. North searched when Christmas passed and even before if he had the time. Bunny was the only one free. And everyone was so, so worried and upset.

Bunny missed the pranks, jabs, and arguments. He missed his little brother.

Tooth missed his sparkly teeth, the way she could care for him and the way he'd blush. She missed her Sweet Tooth.

Sandy missed his child-like innocence when he slept, the way he'd play with the sand strands. He missed the way he made a game out of trying to decipher what he was signing. He missed Jack.

North missed the laughter that he would hear throughout the halls. The open windows and iced floors. He missed seeing Jack asleep in his room. He missed his son.

In fact they all just missed…Jack. Simply Jack. And it was too quiet, lonesome, and joyless without him.

And yes North did try looking for his light, but he couldn't find that one special light that was a lighter yellow out of all the others. And that made him worry. Had they done something to the winter spirit? Had something, or someone, broken his belief and faith in the Guardians?

They had never given up hope in finding him, but they never thought their answers would be answered either. That is until one night they were.

North was sitting his office, having ended a sad meeting with the other three Guardians only a few hours ago, staring at a block of ice. Winter had ended three days ago and he couldn't help but stare at it. Every time he prepared to carve he couldn't help but think of Jack. The way he would watch with fascination at everything he created. How he had Jack help him sometimes. Oh how he missed Jack.

Suddenly there was a noise in the globe room. It was the sound of a window opening. Cold air flooded the work shop. There was no noise of the intruder so he grabbed his swords and went to check it out. As he crept towards the abandoned room, he thought he heard the noise a bare feet stumbling. Somehow this made a good feeling come into his belly.

He entered the dark room, the only light from the moon that shown through the windows, and closed the open one. Then he looked around the room. He thought he saw a flash of white in a corner, it shinning form the moon's light.

That's when North began putting the pieces together. Open window, cold air or wind, bare feet that barely made a noise, white, and the fact it was so cold.

 _'Could it be?'_ North thought.

North swallowed nervously then said, "Jack? Is that you?"

There was a gasp in the corner North had saw the white. But this time when he looked he almost collapsed to his knees. There in the corner closest to the window that had been open, was Jack. But he didn't look to great. His eyes were clenched shut, his breaths came as short, harsh pants. His face was flushed and covered with sweat. His usually wild hair was worse. It was matted and drenched. His sweatshirt clung to his body and his hands had a death grip on his staff. Of course North didn't notice his appearance at first, he was just relieved he was back.

"Jack." North breathed as he dropped his swords and rushed over to the winter spirit. "Jack oh thank Manny your back!"

Jack groaned back in response, eyes, if even possible, clenched shut even more.

"Jack?" North then took in the boy's appearance, "Jack! Come you look sick!"

North quickly picked the winter spirit up bridal style, Jack's head lying on the man's shoulder. Jack groaned and whimpered as he was lifted, pulling his staff closer to his body. North rushed to the infirmary. The lights turned on as he ran in and he placed the fevered child upon a bed. He tried to pry the staff away from the boy but he wouldn't let go. North gave up on that and filled a bowl full of icy water. Soon Phil came in confused but once he spotted Jack he was so happy.

"Phil! Go get snow! We need to cool Jack down!" North shouted to the yeti. Phil nodded and ran to get the snow. When he returned with two other yetis, each holding two buckets of snow, they found North putting a wet cloth on the winter spirit's forehead.

"Pack snow around Jack." North said as he got up. He didn't want to leave Jack so soon but the other Guardians must know.

North set off the Northern Lights and it was only seconds later that the other three were there.

"North what's going on? Why are we here?" Bunny asked.

North smiled and said, "I found Jack."

"WHAT?! North where was he? Where is my Sweet Tooth now?!" Tooth asked worry and a small amount of relief in her words.

"Yes well about an hour ago I found Jack huddled in a corner, in here, not looking to well. Now he is in infirmary." North explained.

Sandy formed a question mark above his head.

"I do not know what happened to him I just found him like that." North said with a sigh.

"Can we go see, Frostbite?" Bunny asked, but it sounded like 'Let us see him or we'll force our way through'.

"Of course." North whispered.

They made it to the infirmary and found Phil whipping Jack's face with the cool rag, then soaking it again and placing it on the winter spirits head. Jack was covered in snow, he still had his grip on his staff. His face was still flushed, but not as bad, and his eyes still tightly shut.

"Oh Sweet Tooth." Tooth gasped.

"I tried to get staff away from him but his grip would not relax. Sandy do you think you could…" North asked and Sandy nodded. He went up to Jack and sprinkled dream sand in the boy's eyes. Soon Jack's grip relaxed, a smile growing on his face, and North gently took the staff and placed it next to the bed. That night none of the Guardians left Jack as he slept.

* * *

The next day the Guardians awoke to a moan coming from the bed. They all got up immediately and surrounded the bed as Jack opened his dull blue eyes. He looked at them all for a moment then smiled.

"W-What's…..u-up?" His voice very horse.

"Oh Jack you had us so worried!" Tooth exclaimed.

"S-Sorr-ry." Jack said. North helped him sit up as Jack drank the water Sandy gave him. When he finished, Jack laid back down and mumbled, "Thanks."

"Frostbite, where were you? We didn't see you all winter." Bunny muttered.

 _"There also wasn't a lot of snow. Why?"_ Sandy signed.

Jack coughed, "Oh you know Global Warming. I-I was keeping the cold places cold. S-Should be fine next winter though." He coughed again.

"Jack why could we not find you anywhere?" North asked. Jack just gave him a shrug.

"Jack why are you so sick? You look like you just took a vacation in Egypt." Bunny asked.

"Again Global Warming. I used most of my powers to keep the cold places cold, but since it was winter I also had to watch the other places. Then with just the heat. But don't worry this has happened before." Jack said, then coughing again.

"Don't worry! Sweet Tooth we are going to help you get through this!" Tooth exclaimed.

"It's not that big of a deal. Just leave me in a snowdrift for a few days then I'll be fine." Jack insisted.

"Frostbite, you were missing for an entire season. We aren't going to suddenly leave you alone.' Bunny said.

"Bunny's right Jack. You are family so we will help you get better. You are not alone anymore." North said with a smile.

Jack had a small, but sincere smile appear before he yawned again. Sandy smiled and put Jack to sleep, everyone watching their youngest dose off with a smile.

It took about three weeks but soon Jack was back on his feet. Everyone had used their spare time to take care of Jack. When he was up again, he flew away to visit Jamie and explain what happened. Thankfully the boy still believed and understood. And soon everything went back to normal and North could find Jack's light. Jack was soon back to his fun and pranking ways. That quiet that had been there when he was gone disappeared, and the Guardians wouldn't have it any other way.


End file.
